30A

Introduce your business and tell us your story: How did you decide on what to sell, and how did you source your products?

30A is a lifestyle brand inspired by small-town beach life enjoyed along scenic highway 30-A on Florida’s Gulf Coast. With over 420,000 Facebook fans, we began selling 30A gear to keep people in touch with our simple coastal way of life. We have over 170 branded 30A products, and we print our shirts in-house in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Our new 30A Dumpster Diver apparel line is made from recycled plastic water bottles, which we source from landfills throughout the southeast.

How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?

Almost all of the 30A brand's growth has been organic. With over 420,000 Facebook fans alone, social media has been an important way to reach our consumers. Our iconic 30A stickers have spread worldwide. 30A is a network of websites, social media platforms and mobile apps, all of which are essential to our success. In addition to 30A.com and 30Agear.com, 30A also has free iPhone, iPad and Android apps, as well as a digital radio station — 30Aradio.com

Free Reading List: Social Media Marketing Tactics

Want to learn more about how social media can help drive sales? Download our free, curated list of high-impact articles.

Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?

In addition to online orders at 30Agear.com, we use Shopify's POS system in our four 30A Stores. We use the "Upsell" app which has generated $19,662 in additional sales with a 6% conversion rate. We also use "Order Cup" for back-end order processing. Our team manages all shipping and fulfillment in-house from our 30A warehouse in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

What are your top recommendations for new store owners?

We've shipped 15,000 orders to 30A fans in all 50 states, with many repeat customers. But success doesn't happen overnight. It takes time to build a successful brand and business. Consumer trust is earned over time. Get started. Be persistent.